


What a World You Have Made Here

by footprintsinthesnow



Category: Fruits Basket, Fruits Basket - Takaya Natsuki (Manga), Fruits Basket Another
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Phone Calls & Telephones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2020-07-08 08:31:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19866592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/footprintsinthesnow/pseuds/footprintsinthesnow
Summary: Kyo gets a call from Hajime during his first year of high school, and gives him some advice.





	What a World You Have Made Here

Sleep was something hard to come by these days, Kyo had found. Between work at the dojo, his own personal training sessions, spending time with Tohru, and taking care of their two younger children, he was lucky to get a full night’s sleep. He didn’t mind most of the time. He loved his family and his job, so sacrificing a few extra hours of sleep was a small price to pay. 

Still, that didn’t mean he would pass up a chance to get those lost hours of rest back. And that was why today, with Tohru, Hiroki, and Chiyo out of the house, he was going to treat himself to a long nap. 

His favorite spot for a nap - on the rare occasion he got to take one - was on the living room couch that was bathed in sunlight during the afternoon. He gathered a blanket, the one that Tohru gave him for his birthday last year, and laid himself down. The worn-out cushions perfectly supported his perpetually aching back, and the sunshine that filtered in from the window warmed his skin. He never truly realized it until he was finally settling down to sleep, but this extra rest was exactly what he needed. 

Just as his eyes began to close, a shrill ringing echoed across the room. His eyes snapped open, searching for the source of the sound. After a moment he zeroed in on his cell phone, which he had left on the mantle. He stood up, quietly cursing the twinge in his shoulders, and trudged over to answer the call. 

Quickly clearing his throat, he pressed the button to accept the call. “Hello?”

“Hey, dad,” a familiar but unexpected voice answered. 

Suddenly, all of his annoyance disappeared and was replaced by an involuntary smile. “So you finally decided to call, huh?”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Hajime said, and Kyo could picture the blush that was surely staining his son’s face. “I’m sorry. I had an exam yesterday, so I was really busy studying.”

“I guess I can give you a pass,” Kyo teased. “But you’ll need to call again later. Mom’s out right now and I know she wants to talk to you. She’s been worried, and I’m pretty sure that if you don’t call soon she’ll end up traveling down to check on you.”

“I will. Promise,” Hajime said meekly. “I don’t want to scare mom.”

“Good. Did your exam go well?”

“I think so,” Hajime replied. “It wasn’t too bad, anyway. There were a few questions that were kinda tough, but it’s fine.”

“Yeah? Well, you’re a better student than your mom or I ever were. I’m sure you did great.”

Hajime laughed. “I’m definitely a better student than mom was, that’s for sure.”

“Hey,” Kyo said, holding back a fond laugh, “don’t make fun of your mom like that, she works a hell of a lot harder than either of us ever have.” He remembered just how much Tohru struggled with school, and how she always tried her best to do better. It didn’t stop after graduation either - when Hajime was born, she bought some textbooks so she could teach herself enough material to help him with homework when he got older. It hadn’t come easy to her, but she tried harder than any parent he had ever met. 

“I know, I’m just kidding. How’s work at the dojo?”

“Eh, same as usual,” Kyo said. “I have some new students now, though. One of them is a real little guy, probably five years old. The other day, he ran off in the middle of training to chase a butterfly. Couldn’t even get mad at him, he was so happy. He’s a funny kid. Reminds me a little of you actually. Back when you first started training… that reminds me - you’ve been training, right?”

“Yes, dad,” Hajime sighed. “Every morning at five. I meditate too.”

Kyo smiled. “Good. I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks,” Hajime said. “So, is mom doing well?”

Kyo found himself nodding happily, even though nobody was there to see it. “She’s good, yeah. She found this new soup recipe the other day, so she’s been pretty excited about that. I think one of her friends might have given it to her. I can’t remember. And Hiroki and Chiyo have been helping her practice it, but Hiroki’s trying to get her to add leeks to the recipe,” Kyo growled.

“Ha,” Hajime teased. “I bet mom will do it just to see you freak out. She thinks it’s funny when you get worked up.”

“Trust me, I know. I’m not going anywhere near that damn soup until I can convince your sister to tell me what’s in it.”

On the other end, Hajime muffled an amused snort.

“Anyway,” Kyo said, returning to the couch and slowly sitting down, “mom’s also been busy at work. It’s almost White Day, which I guess means there’s a lot of guys placing orders for cakes and chocolates for their girlfriends and wives or something.”

“Well, that makes sense. What are you getting for mom?”

“I was thinking about taking her on a trip,” Kyo said. Something about the idea made his stomach flutter with nerves, and he found himself vaguely embarrassed by the feeling.

“Really?”

“Mm,” Kyo affirmed. “We’ve never been out of the country before, so I was thinking maybe Hawaii or something like that. I talked to grandpa and he agreed to watch your brother and sister while we’re gone. I actually think the old man wants us to leave. Says it’s been too long since he last saw his grandkids.” He paused for a moment, lost in thought, before asking nervously, “Do you think mom will like it? Or is it too much?”

Hajime made a thoughtful sound. “Well, it’s a lot, definitely more than you got her last year. But I think mom will love it. She’ll probably cry.”

“I’m counting on it,” Kyo chuckled.

Hajime laughed quietly, then fell silent. Kyo waited patiently; he knew Hajime like the back of his hand, and he understood that this type of awkward silence meant that Hajime was thinking hard and probably on the verge of seeking advice.

Just as Kyo expected, Hajime finally took a deep breath and said, “Dad, can I ask you a question?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“It’s a little awkward.”

Kyo raised his eyebrows. “Uh… nothing like, related to sex right?”

“Dad!” Hajime squealed. “Stop, no, I don’t want to talk about that.”

Kyo exhaled, mentally thanking god that it wasn’t time for that particular conversation yet. “But,” he said quickly, “you can talk to me and your mom about anything, you know that right?” He hoped that was the right thing to say - it sounded like something Tohru would approve.

“Yeah, yeah. I know.”

“Good. So, uh, what do you want to talk about?”

“Well,” Hajime said, stuttering slightly, “there’s this girl in my class. We do homework together sometimes. She’s really smart, and she’s fun to hang out with, so I thought maybe I’d get her a present for White Day. Because, you know, she brought me some Valentine’s chocolate.”

“Oh,” Kyo said softly. It wasn’t what he was expecting his son to ask, but he supposed it was a question he was reasonably equipped to handle. Running his hand through his hair, he cleared his throat and replied, “Well, I think you should buy her a gift, then.”

“Really? You think so?”

“Yeah. She brought you a gift, and you shouldn’t waste time hiding your feelings. It’s better just to be honest, and say what you mean. For all you know, she likes you too.”

“Dad, I never said I liked her,” Hajime grumbled. “I just wanted to buy her a present.”

“So you think she’s smart and cool and fun to hang out with, and want to spend the little money you have on a present for her because…?”

Hajime spluttered something that Kyo couldn’t understand. Finally, he sighed and groaned, “Fine. Maybe I like her a bit.”

“That’s great, Hajime. I’m really happy for you.”

“You are?”

“Of course I am,” Kyo replied. “It’s exciting to like someone. It’s special.”

“So… you’re not, like, going to tell me I’m too young to date?”

“I think you’re a really great kid, Hajime. You’re responsible, and I trust you to be smart about things.”

“Thanks, dad.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Kyo said, “I’m not such a jerk that I wouldn’t let you go on a date. You’d better be nice to her, though. And don’t you dare ask your Uncle Shigure for any dating advice. If he ever tells you anything, do the opposite.”

“Got it, never listen to Uncle Shigure.”

“That’s right.”

“And do you think mom will be okay with this?”

“Are you kidding?” Kyo scoffed. “She’ll be over the freaking moon about it. She probably won’t be able to sleep tonight, she’ll be so excited.”

Hajime laughed, and began to shyly tell Kyo more about the girl from his class. It made him happy. Hearing his son stammer as he recounted their conversations and the moments when it seemed like she might like him too brought back memories of himself at that age, warm ones from when he first began to fall in love with Tohru. 

Yet, something about this moment was so much different. His son was so kind, gentle, and wise - something Kyo had always struggled to be at that age, despite his best efforts. Perhaps he could have been that person, if not for all the anger and hurt. Tohru didn’t agree. She always told him that all of him - the good parts and the bad - helped Hajime grow into who he was, and that Kyo should be proud of what he had made. 

So, perhaps he would let himself do that now. He would let himself listen and take pride in the happiness that overflowed in son’s voice. And then, when they said their goodbyes and hung up the phone, he would finally let himself take that nap he so desperately deserved.

**Author's Note:**

> \- thank you guys for 1k followers on tumblr!!! i hope you like this fic :)))  
> \- title from "12/17/12" by the decemberists  
> \- come hang out on tumblr @machi-kuragi


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